Kaitlin Combs
, husband Bryan and their sons Colton, Tyson, and Tanner, went to the beach near Port Chilkoot Dock on a low tide last week and found a Juno-Made Dairy bottle from the 1930s. Kaitlin’s mom Teri Bastable-Podsiki later did research about bottle and found there were three dairies in Juneau during that era.
Five generations of the Cranston family gathered in Haines recently. Great-great grandma Daisy Cranston (98) enjoyed meeting newborn great-great granddaughter Ivy Graham. Joyce Simon, Daisy’s daughter, her son Bob Graham and his son, Fred, Ivy’s father, all live in Haines and enjoyed gathering to meet baby Ivy.
Jessica Kayser Forster, husband Kevin, friends Jenn Walsh and Chris Downer and dog Loki, embarked on a Haines-to-Skagway ridge hike along Taiya Inlet last week. Jessica and Kevin hitched a boat ride to Skagway with Elijiah Donat and enjoyed the July 4 festivities while visiting friends Knikki Cinnoco and John Briner. Jenn and Chris met them the following day and the group began their trek at Dayebas Creek, just north of Mount Villard (known locally as Santa Claus Mountain). Climbing to 3,600 feet from a starting drainage, they traveled the subalpine ridge for several miles, descended to Kasidaya Creek and hiked the shoreline to Sturgill’s Landing where there is a trail to downtown Skagway. Jessica said they were “totally blessed” and thought bushwhacking could potentially stop them, but luckily their dog Loki found a goat trail. “We couldn’t have done it without grandparents to watch our kids. We are thankful for Leslee Downer and Meg and Gary Forster,” she said.
Deborah Marshall summited Mount Ripinsky for the first time in the 35 years she’s lived in Haines. Deborah’s friend Sandy Vaughn, who visited from Oakland, California inspired the hike. They asked friend Dennis Geasan to guide them to the summit and Tom Ganner also joined them for the memorable hike on the beautiful, sunny day. At the summit they enjoyed freshly smoked sockeye salmon bellies. “Dog, Luna, made it happily up Ripinsky while niece, Laila Marshall, in town from Seattle was hard at work making sandwiches at a local restaurant. It’s her turn next,” Deborah said.
Lexie DeWitt and children Charlie, Loralai, and Lucas traveled to Washington state to visit family. While there, the kids enjoyed their grandparents’ pool and the splash park, and Charlie learned how to play Yahtzee. Lexie’s brother Kyle Conley and his family also visited from Seattle and the kids enjoyed playing with their cousin Kate.
Nishan and Susan Weersinghe and their sons Jacob and Alex returned from Valley Falls, Kansas this month where they attended Nishan’s school reunion. The couple met up with lots of old friends and also visited Nishan’s sister and brothers along the way. They also went to a Kanas City Royals baseball game and experienced the water slides at Great Wolf Lodge. On the way home, they also stopped in Seattle for a few nights. “We had a fun vacation but glad we don’t have the record heat of 100 degrees plus like they do in Kansas City,” Susan said.
While visiting western Colorado recently, Patty Brown enjoyed a chance encounter at a fundraising dance for the Mesa County Libraries held at a winery near the Book Cliffs. She ran into Nicole and Dan Fitzgerald who lived in Haines several years ago. Nicole worked for Takshanuk Watershed Council and now is a volunteer and outreach coordinator for the library, working on a “People’s Garden” this summer. It will grow food crops and flowers as well as be a demonstration site for a xeriscape (landscaping that requires little or no irrigation) with a nearby ramada for shady reading. Dan is an attorney in Grand Junction working in civil litigation and estate planning.

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